Moment Princess Charlotte and Prince George broke a big royal rule at huge event

Like most families, the royals have their own traditions they like to follow when celebrating Christmas and this includes exchanging presents other on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day

Prince George and Princess Charlotte once broke a royal Christmas tradition - opening their presents too late!

It's well-known that the Royal Family usually celebrates Christmas on the country estate of Sandringham and it's a very traditional day - with some of their customs harking back to their German heritage. This means they normally exchange and open their presents on Christmas Eve, as is customary in Germany. Kate Middleton previously revealed that the children held on until December 25 and confessed on Christmas Day in 2018 that her two eldest were in fact "up very early" that morning to open their gifts. She let slip as she spoke to a royal fan waiting outside the church on the estate, who was hoping to get a glimpse of the young family.

Former royal chef Darren McGrady said: "The royals are of German descent so they weave in German traditions to their celebrations. "After afternoon tea, they open gifts on Christmas Eve, as is the German tradition." Like at many British homes, there have been some light-hearted presents unwrapped over the years.

Shortly after they arrive at Sandringham for the festive period, the royals all lay their gifts out on different tables, so each guest has their own little pile. Some of the gifts exchanged over the years have included a leather toilet seat for Prince Charles, a grow-your-own girlfriend kit for Prince Harry and a shower cap for the Queen with 'ain't life a b****' emblazoned across it.

There is one type of present that Kate apparently likes to buy for her kids - and that's practical gifts. According to one royal expert, Kate is mindful not to lavish extravagant tech gifts on her three children. That's because she'd reportedly prefer to get them practical presents so they don't end up having too much screen time at once.

Royal author and expert Katie Nicholl told OK! : "George enjoys his iPad at school, both he and Charlotte are quite tech-savvy and, like most children, there probably are technical gadgets and such like on their wish list. I'm sure they're not going to want for anything, but when it comes to technology and screens, they are careful not to spoil them with extravagant gifting." Katie added: "If it is something that happens to be a computer game or something like that then they are cautious of screen time so it could be a more practical gift."